Film franchises are big business in Hollywood, with the highest-grossing bringing in billions at the box office.
But have you ever wondered which film franchises top the list? We've rounded up the 21 highest-grossing of all time, from Marvel’s money-making superhero sagas to beloved family-friendly series. Read on to see what made the cut – some entries may even surprise you!
All dollar amounts are in US dollars, and the total values of the franchises have been adjusted for inflation.
When Twilight, based on the best-selling book series by Stephenie Meyer, hit the silver screen in 2008, it was almost impossible to find a teenage girl who wasn't captivated by the vampire romance saga.
The four novels were adapted into five films, which grossed a fang-tastic total of $3.3 billion, or $4.7 billion (£3.4bn) in today's money. A TV adaptation of the beloved franchise is now in the works, though it's unclear if it will be a direct remake of the movies or an original take.
It's hard to believe, but the first Ice Age film hit screens over 20 years ago. Released in March 2002, Ice Age took in $386 million globally, the equivalent of $656 million (£483m) today.
Five Ice Age movies have been released theatrically, grossing a grand total of $3.2 billion, or $4.9 billion (£3.6bn) when inflation-adjusted. A spin-off, The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild, was released direct to Disney+ in January 2022, though critics widely slammed it.
Pixar has captured the imaginations of children and adults alike with its heartfelt animations for almost three decades. It all began in 1995 with Toy Story. As well as being the first-ever feature-length animation to be entirely computer-generated, the movie also marked the beginning of the legendary partnership between Pixar and Disney.
The five films (including spin-off Lightyear) have earned almost $3.3 billion at the global box office, or over $4.9 billion (£3.6bn) today. And this number is set to soar, with a new Toy Story film hitting screens in 2026.
Shrek is a cultural phenomenon, combining unforgettable characters, gripping storylines, and jokes aplenty, all topped off with a brilliant soundtrack. The first entry debuted back in 2001.
It was followed by three sequels and the two Puss in Boots spin-off movies. The franchise has collectively grossed $4 billion globally, or $6.2 billion (£4.5bn) today. However, with a new Shrek film set to release in 2026, this figure will surely soar.
Tom Cruise’s Mission: Impossible franchise has enthralled moviegoers since the 1990s, with Cruise famously performing his own white-knuckle stunts throughout the series. After all, who could forget when the fearless actor scaled Dubai's Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building, while filming Mission: Impossible: Ghost Protocol in 2011? On-set photos of Cruise climbing the 2,717-foot (828m) skyscraper attached to a harness were enough to make even the most courageous daredevil feel dizzy.
The eighth and reportedly final entry, Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning, recently hit screens. At the time of writing, the movie has grossed $506.8 million (£373m). In total, the franchise has earned an inflation-adjusted sum of $6.5 billion (£4.8bn) and counting.
Next up is the family-friendly Despicable Me franchise. Minion mania started with the release of 2010's Despicable Me. Since then, five more films, including two Minions spin-offs, have followed.
The latest entry, Despicable Me 4, was released last year and grossed over $971 million (£715m). In total, the franchise has earned an inflation-adjusted sum of $6.7 billion (£4.9bn) at the global box office.
Pirates of the Caribbean was an instant hit for Disney. Before releasing the first instalment in 2003, the House of Mouse hadn't scored a successful live-action movie in decades. Everything changed when the first film in the series, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, grossed an inflation-adjusted sum of $1.2 billion (£880m).
Disney released four sequels between 2006 and 2017, and the swashbuckling adventure saga has grossed an inflation-adjusted total of $6.8 billion (£5bn). That's a whole lotta loot!
James Cameron’s Avatar became the highest-grossing film of all time when it was released in 2009. The sci-fi epic earned an incredible $2.9 billion globally, or $4.3 billion (£3.4bn) in today's money.
Fans had a painful 13-year wait for the sequel, but Avatar: The Way of Water finally arrived in December 2022. It certainly made a big splash at the box office, grossing $2.4 billion (£1.9bn), or $2.7 billion when inflation-adjusted. In today's money, the franchise has grossed an epic $7 billion (£5.1bn). And with several more films in the works, this figure will only rise.
When you think of the Transformers movies, based on the iconic Hasbro toys from the 1980s, you probably think of Michael Bay's action-packed, explosion-filled saga, right? The first Transformers film actually appeared back in 1986 in the form of the animated feature The Transformers: The Movie. We can hardly blame you if you’ve forgotten about this particular instalment. It pulled in a pitiful $5.8 million at the box office, equivalent to $16.8 million (£12m) today. That's far from phenomenal when you consider that director Michael Bay transformed –pun intended – the series into a multibillion-dollar action bonanza.
Today, the franchise has pulled in an inflation-adjusted total of $7.1 billion (£5.2bn) at the global box office.
Following in the footsteps of Marvel, rival superhero franchise DC kicked off the DC Extended Universe in 2013 with the Superman movie Man of Steel.
To date, the franchise has grossed $8.9 billion (£6.6bn) when inflation-adjusted. However, a further boost is likely as the latest entry, Superman, soars onto screens this July.
Based on J. R. R. Tolkien's bestselling books, The Lord of the Rings is one of the best-loved fantasy series ever. The six films, including three prequels based on the book The Hobbit, have made over $5.8 billion worldwide, or $9 billion (£6.7bn) today.
A new LOTR movie, The Hunt for Gollum, is set to hit screens in 2026. Peter Jackson is on board to produce, and Andy Serkis will reprise his iconic role as Gollum and also direct the film.
You can always count on Steven Spielberg to create movie magic, and Jurassic Park is no exception. While Spielberg only served as director on two of the films, he produced all six instalments.
The beloved franchise has grossed $6 billion globally, which is a roar-some $9.1 billion (£6.8bn) in today's money. A new addition to the series, Jurassic World Rebirth, will hit cinemas this summer.
Despite each instalment getting zanier – F9: The Fast Saga featured a car being launched into space – fans can’t seem to get enough of the action-packed fest that is Fast and the Furious.
The 10 main movies and the spin-off have collectively earned $7.3 billion, or $9.1 billion (£6.8bn) when factoring in inflation. And with several more movies in the works, this figure will only accelerate.
Next in our round-up is the X-Men franchise, based on the popular Marvel comics.
The latest entry, Deadpool & Wolverine, hit screens in 2024 and grossed an epic $1.3 billion (£1bn). In total, the superhero franchise has banked an inflation-adjusted sum of $9.4 billion (£6.9bn).
Spoiler alert: while we cover the juggernaut Marvel Cinematic Universe later on – which includes the Avengers films – we’ve also singled out The Avengers as a stand-alone franchise. That's because the superhero saga is a mega-force in its own right.
Despite featuring just four films, the series has pulled in almost $7.8 billion at the box office, or $9.9 billion (£7.3bn) today. Two further instalments, Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, are in the works and scheduled for release in 2026 and 2027 respectively.
We've begun the Batman film franchise with Tim Burton's 1989 movie, featuring Michael Keaton as the crime-fighting vigilante. Since then, more than a dozen movies have followed, grossing a grand total of $6.8 billion, or $10.6 billion (£7.8bn) in today's money.
Arguably, the most iconic rendition of the Caped Crusader comes via the gritty Christopher Nolan trilogy starring Christian Bale. However, there have been some novel entries over the years, too. Consider 2017’s The Lego Batman Movie, for example, or 2019's psychological rollercoaster Joker, which starred Joaquin Phoenix. The Batman, starring Robert Pattinson, hit the big screen in March 2022. Meanwhile, Joker: Folie à Deux failed to capitalise on its predecessor's success, grossing just $207.5 million (£153m) at the global box office.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe might well include the three Marvel Spider-Man films fronted by Tom Holland, but our number five entry features the Sony-produced movies too: the Sam Raimi trilogy starring Tobey Maguire, the two Amazing Spider-Man films starring Andrew Garfield and the two animated Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse spin-offs.
When inflation-adjusted, the franchise has grossed an epic $12 billion (£8.8bn).
Based on JK Rowling’s beloved book series, the Harry Potter films have enchanted audiences since the release of the first instalment, 2001's Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.
The eight Harry Potter films and the Fantastic Beasts spin-offs have grossed a spellbinding $9.6 billion, or $14.5 billion (£10.7bn) in today's money. What's more, a reboot of the franchise is currently in the works in the form of a TV series.
Star Wars is the third-most valuable film franchise of all time. The three main trilogies and the spin-off movies have grossed a mammoth $10.3 billion worldwide, the equivalent of $20 billion (£14.7bn) today.
With several new Star Wars films set to be released in the coming years, the sky really is the limit for just how much money the franchise can continue to rake in.
The first-ever James Bond film, Dr. No, was released in the UK in October 1962. This means the spy-tacular film franchise has been around for an incredible 60 years and counting.
During this time, seven actors have played 007 across 27 films, which have collectively grossed $7.9 billion, or around $22.2 billion (£16.3bn) in today's money.
Claiming the top spot, unsurprisingly, is the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Since 2008’s Iron Man, there have been an incredible 36 films in the powerhouse franchise, which have grossed an inflation-adjusted sum of $47.3 billion (£35bn).
The latest entry, Thunderbolts, was released in May and has earned $379 million (£279m) so far. With numerous new movies in the pipeline, Marvel will likely remain king for some time to come.
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